Baseball gloves with an adaptable index finger stall and methods of making same

ABSTRACT

Baseball gloves with an adaptable index finger stall and methods of making same are provided. A glove can include a back leather having a little finger stall portion, ring finger stall portion, middle finger stall portion, index finger portion, and a thumb stall portion. Each of the stall portions can have distal and proximal ends. An aperture can be located at the proximal end of the index finger stall portion of the back leather. A pad can span part of the aperture. The adapted index finger stall enables users to select between a plurality of index finger positions based upon the user&#39;s preferences and play style. One of the positions can enable users to place the index finger such that is it partially housed within the index finger stall without reducing the glove&#39;s comfort, safety, and performance. Other embodiments are also claimed and described.

TECHNICAL FIELD

Various embodiments of the present invention relate generally to abaseball glove, and more particularly, to a baseball glove with anadaptable index finger stall and methods of making baseball gloveshaving adaptable index finger stall.

BACKGROUND

A glove is designed to receive a ball in the webbing provided betweenthe thumb and index finger. It is often the case, however, when the ballis caught by a user, part or all of the ball strikes a portion of theglove housing the index finger, or other fingers, rather than beingenveloped solely by the webbing. Indeed, conventional baseball glovesoften do not provide the level padding desired by a user to cushion theimpact of a ball being caught in the glove. This can be very painful andresult is bruising or numbness of the hand or finger after repeatedimpacts. The padding provided within the glove is often insufficient tosatisfactorily lessen the impact of a hard hit or thrown baseball.

A glove is designed to be worn by a user by placing each finger of thehand in a separate finger stall. The finger stalls are aligned so thatthe fingers may be maintained in a natural, comfortable positionrelative to each other. Removing the index finger from the index fingerstall, and placing it on the surface of the back leather requiressubstantially bending back the index finger. As a result the indexfinger is not aligned with the other fingers of the hand. This greatlyreduces the overall comfort of wearing the glove for longer periods oftime.

It is common for users to remove their index finger from the indexfinger stall of a glove and place the finger through the aperture overthe back of the palm provided in the back leather, and rest the indexfinger on the surface of the back leather. This provides the backleather as an additional layer of padding between the index finger andthe ball. While this may soften the impact of a ball, it typicallyreduces comfort, safety, and performance of the glove.

During play, the gloves are often used for scooping up balls off theground or “tagging” other players. The glove generally covers andprotects the entire hand. When the index finger is placed on the surfaceof the back leather, however, it protrudes from the surface of the gloveand is completely unprotected. As a result, the index finger isvulnerable to snagging against another players clothing, scrapingagainst the ground or a sliding player's cleats, or being bent backwardsor sideways during play or practice. This reduces the safety of wearinga glove and can result in a serious injury to the user's finger.

An important function of a glove is its ability to open and close tosecure and release a ball. The finger stalls of a glove are designedrespond to movement of the user's fingers to open and close the glove.By removing the index finger from the appropriate finger stall, thefunctional characteristics of the glove are negatively altered. As aresult the glove does not open and close as designed, reducing itsresponsiveness and performance in receiving and releasing a ball thathas been caught by a user.

The need to adapt a glove to the practice of removing the index fingerfrom the appropriate finger stall has been recognized by the industry.For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,766,531 is directed to a baseball glovehaving an area with additional padding on the surface of the backleather for placement of the index finger. This design, however, doesnot address the comfort, safety, and performance problems encountereddue to the player removing the index finger and placing it fully exposedon the back of the leather. In this design the finger is bent backwardonto the back leather, protrudes over the back surface of the glove, andis not in proper communication with the front leather of the glove.

In another example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,031,239 discloses a baseball glovehaving a backside finger protector to receive the index finger of thesurface of the back leather. While the design protects the exposed indexfinger, it does not address the issues of comfort and performance.Indeed, since the index finger remains substantially bent backward andnot within a finger stall in proper communication with the front leatherof the glove.

In yet another example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,199,209 provides a strap andpocket for placing the user's index finger on surface of the backleather. This design, however, suffers from the same drawbacks asprevious designs. The index finger remains bent backward and misalignedrelative to the other fingers, reducing comfort. The user's index fingeris also substantially located outside of the appropriate finger stall,and not in proper communication with the front leather of the glove.This reduces the user's ability to close the glove to receive or catch abaseball, and diminishes the glove's performance.

Accordingly, there is a need for a glove that allows the user to safelyand comfortably remove the index finger from the index finger stallwithout sacrificing the glove's performance. It is to such a glove thatvarious embodiments of the present invention are directed.

BRIEF SUMMARY

Briefly described, various embodiments of the present invention aredirected to a baseball glove, and method of manufacturing thereof,having an adapted index finger stall that allows a user to selectbetween a plurality of index finger positions based upon the user'spreferences and play style. One of the positions enables a user to placethe index finger such that is it partially housed within the indexfinger stall without reducing the glove's comfort, safety, andperformance.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the glove includesa back leather having a little finger stall portion, ring finger stallportion, middle finger stall portion, index finger portion, and a thumbstall portion. Each of the stall portions have distal and proximal ends.An aperture is located at the proximal end of the index finger stallportion of the back leather. A pad is further disposed, spanning part ofthe aperture.

The aperture located on the back leather is preferably oblong. Theaperture preferably has a proximal and distal region. The width of theproximal region of the aperture is preferably greater than the width ofthe distal region of the aperture. The aperture is preferably adapted toreceive the index finger.

In other embodiments, a glove includes a back leather having an outwardsurface and an inward surface, a little finger stall portion, ringfinger stall portion, middle finger stall portion, index finger portion,and a thumb stall portion. Each of said stall portions has distal andproximal ends. An aperture is located at the proximal end of the indexfinger stall portion of the back leather. The glove further includes apad spanning part of the aperture, the pad having an outward surface andan inward surface. The pad is preferably attached to the inward surfaceof the back leather.

Accordingly, it is an object of various embodiments of the presentinvention to provide for a baseball glove design with an adaptable indexfinger stall.

It is another object of various embodiments of present invention is toprovide for a baseball glove which allows the user to remove the indexfinger from the index finger stall without reducing the comfort of theglove.

Another object of various embodiments of the present invention is toprovide for a baseball glove which allows the user to remove the indexfinger from the index finger stall without reducing the safety of theglove.

Yet another object of various embodiments of the present invention is toprovide for a baseball glove which allows the user to remove the indexfinger from the index finger stall without reducing the performance ofthe glove.

Other objects, features, and advantages of various embodiments of thepresent invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art uponreading the following specification in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a front perspective view of a glove in an openposition in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 2 illustrates a back view of a glove and an adaptable index fingerstall in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 3 illustrates a close-up view of a finger within an adaptable indexfinger stall in accordance with some embodiments of the presentinvention.

FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a method to produce abaseball glove in accordance with some embodiments of the presentinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED & ALTERNATIVE EMBODIMENTS

Referring now to the figures, wherein like reference numerals representlike parts throughout the several views, exemplary embodiments of thepresent invention will be described in detail. Throughout thisdescription, various components may be identified having specific valuesor parameters, however, these items are provided as exemplaryembodiments. Indeed, the exemplary embodiments do not limit variousaspects and concepts of the present invention as many comparableparameters, sizes, ranges, and/or values may be implemented.

Referring now specifically to FIG. 1, illustrates a front perspectiveview of a glove 100 in an open position in accordance with someembodiments of the present invention. The front 102 of the glove 100forms a surface that receives a ball (not shown). The glove 100preferably comprises a front leather 110. The front leather 110preferably includes a front thumb stall portion 120, a front indexfinger stall portion 130, a front middle finger stall portion 140, afront ring finger stall portion 150, and a front little finger stallportion 160. The front leather 110 further comprises an outward frontleather surface 110 a, and an inward front leather surface (not shown),which back the outward front leather surface 110 a.

The front leather 110 further comprises a front palm region 115. Each ofthe front finger stall portions 120, 130, 140, 150, and 160 include acorresponding proximal region 120 a, 130 a, 140 a, 150 a, and 160 a,adjacent the front palm region 115. The front finger stall portions 120,130, 140, 150, and 160 each preferably further include a correspondingdistal region 120 b, 130 b, 140 b, 150 b, and 160 b. The proximalregions 120 a, 130 a, 140 a, 150 a, and 160 a are preferably disposedadjacent to the palm region 115. The distal regions 120 b, 130 b, 140 b,150 b, and 160 b are preferably disposed spaced apart from the frontpalm region 115, at the tips of each finger stall. In this manner, thefront leather 110 preferably takes the general shape of a hand.

The front leather 110 is preferably formed from a single piece. In othercontemplated embodiments, the front leather 110 may be formed frommultiple panels that are sewn, laced, glued, or attached in anothersuitable manner to each other. The front leather 110 is preferablyformed from 100% full grain leather. In other contemplated embodiments,the front leather 110 may be formed from rubber, a synthetic orcomposite material, a combination of different materials, another formof leather, or any other suitable material.

The glove 100 further preferably includes a web 170. The web 170 ispreferably disposed between the front thumb stall portion 120 and frontindex finger stall portion 130. The web 170 is preferably constructedfrom the same material as the front leather 110. In other contemplatedembodiments, the web 170 may be constructed from a material differentfrom the front leather 110. The web 170 is preferably formed by lacingmultiple leather strands 175 to create a surface 177. The web ispreferably attached to the front leather 110 by lacing the web along thesides of the front thumb stall portion 120 and front index finger stallportion 130.

FIG. 2 illustrates a back view of a glove and an adaptable index fingerstall in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention. Theback of the glove 100 preferably includes a back leather 210. The backleather 210 preferably includes a back index finger stall portion 230, aback middle finger stall portion 240, a back ring finger stall portion250, a back little finger stall portion 260, and a back thumb stallportion (not shown).

The back leather 210 further comprises a back palm region 215. Each ofthe back finger stall portions 230, 240, 250, and 260 include acorresponding proximal region 230 a, 240 a, 250 a, and 260 a. The backfinger stall portions 230, 240, 250, and 260 each preferably furtherinclude a corresponding distal region 230 b, 240 b, 250 b, and 260 b.The proximal regions 230 a, 240 a, 250 a, and 260 a are preferablydisposed adjacent to the back palm region 215. The distal regions 230 b,240 b, 250 b, and 260 b are preferably disposed spaced apart from theback palm region 215, at the tips of each finger stall. Although notshown, the back thumb stall portion also comprises proximal and distalregions similar to the other back finger stall portions 230, 240, 250,and 260. In this manner, the back leather 210 preferably takes thegeneral shape of a hand, similar to the front leather 110.

The back leather 210 is preferably formed from multiple pieces that aresewn, laced, glued, or attached in another suitable manner to eachother. In other contemplated embodiments, the back leather 210 may beformed from a single piece. The back leather 210 is preferably formedfrom 100% full grain leather. In other contemplated embodiments, theback leather 210 may be formed from rubber, a synthetic or compositematerial, a combination of different materials, another form of leather,or any other suitable material.

The front leather 110 and back leather 210 are attached to form a cavityfor receiving a user's hand. Corresponding edges of the front leather110 and back leather 210 are laced, sewn, glued, or attached by othersuitable means to each other. Edges of the front finger stall portions120, 130, 140, 150, and 160 are preferably similarly attached to theedges of the back finger stall portions 230, 240, 250, 260, and backthumb stall portion to form the thumb stall 20 (depicted in FIG. 1), theindex finger stall 30, middle finger stall 40, ring finger stall 50, andlittle finger stall 60.

The glove 100 is designed to be worn on a user's hand. The glove 100receives a user's hand though opening 270. When worn, the palm of theuser's hand is preferably disposed between the front palm region 115 andback palm region 215. A user's fingers are preferably disposed in thecorresponding finger stalls 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60 when the glove 100 isplaced on the hand. When fully worn, the finger stalls 20, 30, 40, 50,and 60 preferably mirror the movement of a user's fingers to open andclose the glove 100. This enables a user to receive and release a ballin the front of the glove 100.

The index finger stall 30 is further adapted to enable placement of theindex finger in a plurality of positions. The back leather 210preferably includes an aperture 300. The aperture 300 preferably spansthe back palm region 215 and the proximal region of the back indexfinger stall portion 230 a. The aperture 300 preferably furthercomprises a proximal aperture region 300 a disposed in the back palmregion 215, and a distal aperture region 300 b disposed in the proximalregion of the back index finger stall portion 230 a.

The aperture 300 is preferably oblong in shape. In other contemplatedembodiments, the aperture 300 can take the form of other shapes such aselliptical, triangular, square, or another suitable regular or irregularshape. In further contemplated embodiments, the aperture 300 ispreferably generally the shape of an index finger.

The proximal aperture region 300 a is preferably wider than the distalaperture region 300 b. The width of the aperture 300 preferably variesfrom the proximal aperture region 300 a to the distal aperture regionfrom approximately five centimeters (about 2 inches) to 2.5 centimeters(about 1 inch). The length of the aperture 300 is preferably about 10centimeters (about 4 inches).

The glove 100 further preferably includes a pad 310. The pad 310preferably spans part of the aperture 300. For example, the distalaperture region 300B can completely span the pad 310. The proximalaperture region 300A is preferably substantially not spanned by the pad310, such that proximal aperture region 300A spans the exterior andinterior cavity of the glove 100. The pad 310 is preferably formed fromrubber. In other contemplated embodiments, the pad 310 may be formedfrom leather, plastic, fabric, or another suitable material. In furthercontemplated embodiments, the pad 310 may be formed from a single pieceof material folded over to form two layers of the material. The pad 310is preferably substantially similar in shape to the aperture 300. Thepad 310 may further comprise a textured surface to increase grip.

The back leather 210 further comprises an outward back leather surface210 a and an inward back leather surface 210 b. The outward back leathersurface 210 a defines the outside surface of the back of the glove 100.The inward back leather surface 210 b defines the back of the interiorcavity of the back of the glove 100. Similarly, the outward frontleather surface 110 a defines the outside surface of the front of theglove 100. Although not depicted, the inward front leather surfacedefines the front of the interior cavity of the glove 100.

The edges of the pad 310 are preferably attached to the inward backleather surface 210 a along the edges of the aperture 300. The pad 310may be sewn, laced, glued, or attached by other suitable means to theinward back leather surface 210 a.

The pad 310 preferably comprises an outward pad surface 310 a and aninward pad surface 310 b. The inward pad surface 310 b preferablydefines the surface of the back of the index finger stall 30. Theoutward pad surface 310 a is preferably below the plane of the outwardback leather surface 210 a, defining an index finger receiving recess320.

The aperture 300 and pad 310 enable the index finger stall 30 to beadaptable. FIG. 3 illustrates a close-up view of a finger within anadaptable index finger stall in accordance with some embodiments of thepresent invention. In the inside position, the user's finger in withinthe index finger stall 30. The index finger rests upon the inward frontleather surface. The pad 300 forms the back of the index finger stall30. The inward pad surface 310 b, substantially covers the user's indexfinger, which is disposed within the index finger stall 30. In theinside position the index finger is completely housed within the indexfinger stall 30. The index finger is fully protected from interferencewith external objects such as the ground, other players, bases, of afence.

A user's index finger may also be disposed in an outside position. Theuser may extend the index finger through the proximal aperture region300 a. The index finger is preferably rested upon the outward padsurface 310 a, in the index finger receiving recess 320. Placing theindex finger on the outward pad surface 310 a preferably deforms theaperture 300 by narrowing its width, enabling the inward pad surface 310b to rest against inward front leather surface of the front index fingerstall portion 130. The outside position may be selected by a user whodesires an extra level of protection against the impact from a ball. Inthe outside position, the pad 310 is disposed between the index fingerof the front of the glove 300 which receives the ball. In this manner,the pad 310 affords an additional cushioning material to absorb theshock of catching a hard hit or thrown baseball.

In an outside position, the index finger is partially enclosed withinthe index finger receiving recess 320 of the index finger stall 30. Thisexposes the back of a user's index finger. In the outside position, theback of the index finger is not covered by any portion of the glove 100.The alignment of the index finger relative to the other fingers ispreferably the same in the inside and outside positions, such that theoutside position does not require the index finger to be bent backwardonto the outward back leather surface 210 a. This allows both theoutside and inside positions to be comfortable for the user.

In an outside position, a user's index finger is preferably housedwithin the index finger receiving recess 320 and rests below the planeof the outward surface of the back leather 210 a. The index fingerreceiving recess 320 formed by depressing the pad 310 is adapted toreceive the index finger so that it does not protrude above the level ofthe outward back leather surface 210 a. This prevents the index fingerfrom being bent and scratched as the glove is slid or brushed againstthe ground or another player. This provides an equal amount of safetyfor the finger in the outside position as the finger would have in aconventional glove wherein the index finger is within a finger stall.

In an outside position, a user's index finger remains in communicationwith the front index finger stall portion 130. As described above, thepad 310 is adapted to be depressed by the index finger and rest uponinward front leather surface of the front index finger stall portion130. This enables the user to exert force upon the front index fingerstall portion 130 by pressing on the pad 310. This communication betweenthe user's index finger and front index finger stall portion 130 allowsfor the same degree of control over the closing of the glove 100 as theuser would experience with the index finger being disposed within theindex finger stall. As a result, performance characteristics of theglove 100 are not diminished.

FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a method 400 to produce abaseball glove in accordance with some embodiments of the presentinvention. It should be understood that while method 400 is shown withvarious “steps” such steps can be performed in any order and additional“steps” can be included in additional method embodiments. The first stepof the method is to provide at least one piece of leather 410. Thisleather will preferably form the back leather 210 of the glove 100. Itis contemplated the entire back leather 210 may be formed from a singlepiece of leather of multiple pieces attached to each other. The nextstep is to form a plurality of finger stall portions and palm portions420. These finger stall portions will preferably form the back thumbstall portion and back finger stall portions 230, 240, 250, 260. Thepalm portion will preferably form the back palm region 215.

A following step is to provide an aperture in one of the finger stallportions 430. The aperture will preferably form the aperture 300 on theback index finger stall portion 230. In other contemplated embodiments,the aperture may be on other finger stall portions or multiple fingerstall portions. The aperture is preferably formed by cutting away anarea of leather on the one of the finger stall portions.

A following step is to substantially span the aperture with an element440. An area of the aperture preferably remains not spanned by theelement sufficient to enable the user to comfortable accommodate passageof a user's finger. The element is preferably a rubber pad as describedabove in the embodiment of the glove 100.

A following step is to attach an element to the surface of the at leastone piece of leather that will define the interior of the glove at aplurality of points adjacent to the aperture 450. the element willpreferably be attached below the surface of the leather that will definethe outward portion of the glove. This will preferably form a recess forreceiving the user's finger. The element is preferably attached to theleather by sewing. Other methods such as gluing and lacing have alsobeen contemplated for the attachment of the element to the surface ofleather.

In other contemplated embodiments, the glove 100 may include aperturessimilar in design and function to aperture 300 for other fingers. Forexample, the glove 100 can comprise an additional aperture for themiddle finger such that one or both of the index and middle fingers maybe placed in the inside or outside positions depending on thepreferences of the user. The glove 100 may be designed with an aperturefor each finger stall, such that the user can pick which finger is inthe outside position and which is in the inside position based upon theuser's preferences and play style.

In other contemplated embodiments, the size, shape and design of theglove may be adapted for other applications such as catcher's gloves,first baseman's gloves, fielder's gloves, pitcher's gloves, tee-ballgloves, softball gloves, or other specialized application gloves forbaseball, softball, and similar sports.

In some contemplated embodiments, the glove 100 may further comprise astrap spanning the width of the aperture 300. The strap could be of avariety of widths and partially or fully span the aperture 300. Thestrap preferably provides additional protection for the back of theuser's index finger.

In some contemplated embodiments, the glove 100 may further comprise astabilizing loop or ring disposed on the outward pad surface 310 a. Theloop would preferably be of a diameter of sufficient to receive a fingerand provide additional lateral support for the user's index finger whenthe outside position is selected.

In some contemplated embodiments, the glove 100 may further comprise aninner liner. For example, the inner liner may be formed from a frontliner and a back liner that are attached to each other to form fingerstalls and a palm receiving region. The liner may be sewn or attached tothe inside of the cavity formed by the glove 100. The liner may beconstructed from leather or a combination of materials to increase theuser's comfort in wearing the glove. The liner may further include othertypes of padding and cushioning such as foam, rubber, cotton, fur, oranother suitable material to increase the comfort of the glove 100.

In some contemplated embodiments, the finger stalls 20, 30, 40, 50, and60 may comprise loops or rings for receiving a user's finger. Theseloops enable a tighter fit between the user's hand and the glove 100,increasing comfort and performance of the glove. The loops maypreferably be constructed from leather or another suitable material andattached to the front leather 110, back leather 210, both leathers 110,210, or formed within the lining described in the contemplatedembodiments above.

Various exemplary embodiments of the present invention provide abaseball glove with an adapted index finger stall. The stall providesthe user with the option to select an inside position similar toconventional finger placement, and an outside position. The outsideposition enables the user to increase the padding between the indexfinger and the ball without sacrificing comfort, safety, or performance.

Therefore, while embodiments of this invention have been described indetail with particular reference to exemplary embodiments, those skilledin the art will understand that variations and modifications can beeffected within the scope of the invention as defined in the appendedclaims. Accordingly, the scope of various embodiments of the presentinvention should not be limited to the above discussed embodiments, andshould only be defined by the following claims and all equivalents.

1. A baseball glove comprising: a back leather having a little fingerstall portion, ring finger stall portion, middle finger stall portion,index finger stall portion, and a thumb stall portion, each of saidstall portions having distal and proximal ends; an aperture located atthe proximal end of the index finger stall portion of the back leather;and a pad spanning part of the aperture.
 2. A baseball glove accordingto claim 1, the aperture is oblong.
 3. A baseball glove according toclaim 1, the aperture has a proximal region and a distal region, thewidth of the proximal being greater than the width of the distal region.4. A baseball glove according to claim 3, the pad spans all of thedistal region of the aperture, and the proximal region of the apertureis substantially not spanned by the pad.
 5. A baseball glove accordingto claim 1, the width of the distal region of the aperture isapproximately 2.5 centimeters and the width of the proximal region ofthe aperture is approximately 5 centimeters.
 6. A baseball gloveaccording to claim 1, the pad is formed from rubber.
 7. A baseball gloveaccording to claim 1, the pad is sewn to the back leather
 8. A baseballglove according to claim 1, the pad defines the proximal portion of theindex finger stall.
 9. A baseball glove comprising: a back leatherhaving an outward surface and an inward surface, a little finger stallportion, ring finger stall portion, middle finger stall portion, indexfinger stall portion, and a thumb stall portion, each of said stallportions having distal and proximal ends; an aperture located at theproximal end of the index finger stall portion of the back leather; anda pad spanning part of the aperture, the pad having an outward surfaceand an inward surface, wherein the pad is attached to the inward surfaceof the back leather.
 10. A baseball glove according to claim 9, the padadapted to receive the index finger of the user such that the top of theindex finger does not extend above the outward surface of the backleather.
 11. A baseball glove according to claim 9, the width of theaperture adapted to decrease when the pad is pressed by a user's indexfinger.
 13. A baseball glove according to claim 9, capable of receivinga user's index finger between the outward surface of the back leatherand the outward surface of the pad.
 14. A baseball glove according toclaim 9, the aperture having a proximal region and a distal region, thewidth of the proximal being greater than the width of the distal region.15. A baseball glove according to claim 14, wherein the pad spans all ofthe distal region of the aperture, and the proximal region of theaperture is substantially not spanned by the pad.
 16. A method toproduce a baseball glove comprising: providing at least one piece ofleather; forming a plurality finger stall portions and a palm portionfrom the at least one piece of leather; providing an aperture in one ofthe finger stall portions; and substantially spanning the aperture withan element.
 17. The method of claim 16 further comprising, attaching theelement to the surface of the at least one piece of leather that willdefine the interior of the glove at a plurality of points adjacent tothe aperture.
 18. A baseball glove comprising: a front leather having anoutward surface and an inward surface, a little finger stall portion,ring finger stall portion, middle finger stall portion, index fingerstall portion, and a thumb stall portion, each of said stall portionshaving distal and proximal ends; a back leather having an outwardsurface and an inward surface, a little finger stall portion, ringfinger stall portion, middle finger stall portion, index finger stallportion, and a thumb stall portion, each of said stall portions havingdistal and proximal ends; an aperture located at the proximal end of theindex finger stall portion of the back leather; and a pad spanning partof the aperture, the pad having an outward surface and an inwardsurface, wherein the pad is attached to the inward surface of the backleather, the pad adapted to enable a user to place an index finger inthe index finger stall with the back side of the user's index fingeragainst the inward surface of the pad or with the palm side of theuser's index finger against the outward surface of the pad.
 19. Abaseball glove according to claim 18, the pad forming an index fingerreceiving recess when the user places the index finger on the outwardsurface of the pad.
 20. A baseball glove according to claim 19, theindex finger receiving recess adapted to house the user's index fingersuch that the index is between the plane of the outward surface of theback leather the outward surface of the pad, and the inward surface ofthe pad is in communication with the inward surface of the finger stallportion of the front leather.